Leaving Cert: Economics students denied chance to critique Brexit

There were no major surprises on the Leaving Cert economics papers, but higher-level students may have been disappointed not to have had an opportunity to get stuck into Brexit.

It turned up for ordinary-level students, but teachers noted its absence from the higher-level long questions.

Overall, the papers went down well. “Very accessible with uncomplicated questions,” was how Bairbre Kennedy, an ASTI subject representative and teacher at Malahide Community School, Co Dublin, described higher level.

Mairead O’Sullivan, of the Business Studies Teachers Association and Glenstal Abbey School, Co Limerick, thought higher level “fair but challenging, with nowhere for unprepared students to hide”.

Some students anticipated a question on the gender pay gap and resorted to Twitter this week in search of a recent article on the subject, and were rewarded with a question in the paper.

Music candidates had “very nice papers”, according to Mary McFadden, of the ASTI, who teaches at Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan, Co Dublin. She said there was more scope for them this year to show their knowledge in the listening comprehension.